In the movie Groundhog Day, the weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) experiences his own version of hell. He wakes up in Puxatawny, Pennsylvania stuck in repeatedly reliving the same Groundhog Day celebration that he thought was well below his station the first time.

Day after day. The same day.

He first manipulates the situation and then allows the experience of doing repeated do-overs to change his life.

Virtually everyone is stuck in one arena of their life or another. Things don’t really seem to change year to year, month to month, or week to week. Sometimes we reach a point of feeling so stuck (and tired of being stuck) that we actually resolve to do something about it. Jerry McGwire says either we break down or we break through.

When we reach the end of our rope…

When we get caught between a rock and a hard place…

When all hope is lost…

When we’re sick and tired of being sick and tired…

...we've often finally reached the place where real change can occur.

Usually, all we can do is muster enough inertia and courage to make some minor adjustments. But Jack Welch says,

“Minor adjustments don’t produce lasting changes.”

When you’re really stuck, you need to really do something about it.

We say:

Realize or acknowledge that you are stuck.

Come to a point of being motivated to do something about it.

Be willing to let someone come alongside you to coach you out of being so stuck.

It is hard enough to acknowledge we are stuck, but it also requires that we be willing to do something about it. Real change is likely going to require some sort of launching experience, then an experienced guide to get you to where you want to go.

Almost everything I do to produce real change starts with a jump start:

Corporate Coaching - we conduct Strategic Enterprise retreats (pre-work and then an intensive 2 day) with leadership teams to establish a new baseline and commitment to a different future.

Executive Coaching - we have all of our executive board clients go through a Lifeplan experience to set a new compass for their lives in every arena.

Men’s ministry - avocationally, I help conduct 4-day “boot camps” to aggressively reorient men with the Alamo Band of Brothers.

This is the time of year where many of us decide we want to arrive somewhere at end the of next year on purpose. Sadly, we often only make minor changes when our desire is to find major course adjustments.

There are millions of books and hundreds of business cards full of guides who can help you aggressively make changes to your current reality. We are merely one of those options.

So pull one of those cards out of your stack.

Take a flyer from that bulletin board of options.

Pull that book off your shelf.

Respond to that e-mail, blog, or podcast inquiry.

Jump start your journey if you want to realize substantive change. Make this the year that you really change things. But by all means, get someone else to help you with the journey. Chances of you getting there will go up exponentially if you get a little help.

Every other coaching organization has their version of similar things. Make this the year you get tired enough of the way things are…

…to get unstuck.

“We suffered from the inability to execute on a steady stream of really good ideas. Now, we have clear initiatives and a process to mark our progress while accomplishing the most important things. We are being more proactive and doing things less haphazardly or reactionary. We’ve gone from an unclear and uncertain future to a clear plan and structure for many years to come.”

- Erik

Consider

Are you stuck?

Are you tired enough of being stuck to actually get someone to help you do something about it?

Are you open to having someone else come alongside you to coach you and/or your team?

Is this the year where you are going to make the changes that help you arrive at somewhere on purpose in 2018?